


A Little Bit of Sunlight

by gotatheory



Series: Flicker Beat Verse [8]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Inspired by OQ, M/M, dragon outlaw queen family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-15 20:03:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16070300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gotatheory/pseuds/gotatheory
Summary: Flicker Beat. Robin, Regina, and Mal enjoy a day out with their kids.





	A Little Bit of Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this art](https://twitter.com/gotatheory/status/1043684192717103104) by [@outlawqueenbey](https://twitter.com/outlawqueenbey).

Regina loved the outdoors once, when she was younger, and riding Rocinante and sneaking off to Firefly Hill with Daniel were the only ways she could ever feel free. That changed after his death, and she became the Queen, and not even Rocinante could help her find freedom. Nowadays, she’s no longer a queen but still just as refined as queenship had instilled in her, and she finds an odd sense of comfort _and_ discomfort in being outside. The loves of her life, naturally, love the outdoors.

Robin lived in the forest, still misses it sometimes, and Mal, as a dragon, enjoys spending time outside to stretch her wings.

Normally, Regina leaves them to it, but today, it’s lovely out, bright and sunny, not too hot. And Roland, bless his little grew-up-in-a-forest heart, thinks it’s a grand day for a picnic, something Henry latched on immediately. Definitely not her favorite thing to do, but it’s hard to resist when not only are her kids staring up at her with wide, pleading eyes, but Mal is making comments about how it’s been awhile since she and Lily had a good flight and Robin mentions needing fresh air.

So here she is, spreading out several blankets over grass as Robin, Mal, and Lily prepare a fire for the food they’re going to cook.

They could have done this in their backyard, with a proper grill, but no, they had to do it out here in the forest, in a clearing not far from the Merry Men camp.

“I don’t know how we got stuck with a bunch of forest-dwellers, Lia,” Regina murmurs goodnaturedly to the toddler beside her. Thalia giggles happily, trying to toddle after a butterfly that flits by. “Oh, no, you’re one of them.”

“What are you telling our daughter?” Mal asks as she comes to sit next to Regina. Despite the warmth, she leans over and rests her head on Regina’s shoulder, nuzzling against her.

Regina can’t resist pressing her face into blonde curls, leaving a kiss on the crown of her head. “That I’m surrounded by heathens who love being outside with the insects in the heat, instead of in my nice, air conditioned mansion,” she teases.

She chuckles, turning her face toward the sun. “It’s so nice out, though,” she says, sitting up only to lean back on her elbows, sunning herself as best she can. She’s dressed adorably casual, in cream bermuda shorts and a gauzy light blue short-sleeved top, so much pale skin on display. “Makes me want to go for a flight and then curl up with the sun on my scales.”

She looks over at Robin and Lily, both of them absorbed in the task of preparing kebabs. Henry and Roland have joined them, helping Robin slide veggies and fruits and meat on sticks as Lily slices and cubes. “Looks like they’ve got it under control,” she says, nodding at their family. “Why don’t you have a nice flight? I’ve got Lia.”

Mal considers it with a tilt of her head. “You’re sure?”

Regina nudges her with her shoulder, smirking at her. “You’re already imagining how good the wind will feel, aren’t you?” she asks, and Mal laughs.

She kisses her, loosely cupping Regina’s face for a moment as their lips meet. Then she’s leaning over to plant quick pecks all over Thalia’s cheeks and forehead, making their little girl giggle and shake to escape the tickling kisses. “Be good for mommy, all right?” she says with a final kiss, and then she’s up and stepping away, giving them a wide berth.

Regina watches the smoke swirl around her, her form morphing into that of her dragon. Though she’d never admit it, she stares, taking in the majestic creature before her. There’s just something about Maleficent in her true form that always gets to her, takes her breath away.

“You know, someone told me that staring is really quite rude.”

She startles, surprised to see Robin standing over her, smirking. Her cheeks heat as she averts her eyes, caught and unable to excuse it. “Shouldn’t you be cooking right now?” she snaps, but there’s no bite to it as he sits down heavily beside her.

“Lily’s got it,” he says, nodding toward the firepit where Lily is indeed focused on it, watching over the kebabs like a hawk as Roland and Henry also stare at it. “Besides, is it really grilling if the food doesn’t get a little charred?”

“A little charred is different from burnt to a crisp,” she retorts with a raised eyebrow, but he only laughs.

“Trust your daughter. She’s got your cooking skills, not her other mother’s,” he assures, and Regina knows it’s true. For someone who survived on cheap, easy to fix meals, Lily had readily improved in the kitchen under Regina’s tutelage. He glances up to Maleficent now circling overhead. “I always forget how… breathtaking she is in that form.”

Regina smiles, tilting her head back to watch. “She’s beautiful in any and every form she takes,” she agrees, holding his hand.

“She is,” he nods, bringing her hand to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. “As are you, milady.”

“Flatterer,” she sniffs, but that blush is still there, coloring her cheeks. She can feel it, soft and warm, and she can’t help leaning into Robin for a moment.

Thalia stumbles over to them, clambering over Regina to get to her father, and Robin drops Regina’s hand immediately to grasp his daughter’s waist and help her stand on his thighs. “Hello there, my darling,” he coos as she palms his cheeks, giggling at the scratchiness of his beard. “You’re beautiful too, just like your mothers.”

“You don’t have to try and win her over, she’s your child through and through,” Regina chuckles. “She loves being out here.”

Robin hums in a pleased, perhaps a little smug, way and babbles back to Thalia as she babbles at him. When her brow furrows and she looks concentrated, he says, “What’s got you thinking so hard, hmm?”

Thalia looks up, staring at Mal flying, oddly focused on her mother above her. When the smoke swirls, Robin and Regina both gasp, and before Regina can do anything, their baby girl is gone.

In her place, there is a small dragon with dark purple scales and bright blue eyes, tiny wings extending from her back. For a moment, she flaps them, straining, and manages to hover above Robin for a moment before falling back into his chest.

“Thalia?” Robin exclaims as Regina mutters, _Holy shit._

“Mal has got to see this,” she says, throwing her arm up into the air. A bright flare of light shoots from her palm, signalling to her.

Mal lands and returns to her human form, just in time to see Thalia trying to fly again, wings beating as hard as she can, only to land back on Robin with a crackling sound Regina thinks might be a giggle.

“Thalia!” Mal cries out, gathering the little dragon in her arms, hoisting her up excitedly. “Look at you, my darling girl!”

The excitement draws the attention of their other children, especially Roland who comes rushing over to stare at the dragon Mal cradles.

“Do we have a pet dragon?” he asks, beaming with excitement, and Mal laughs.

“No, silly monkey.” Mal juggles Thalia until she can free one hand to ruffle Roland’s curls. “This is your sister. She’s turned into a dragon like Lily and I can.”

Roland frowns a bit and says, “But she’s tiny. Can she be my pet?”

“I think making your little sister a pet isn’t the best idea, my boy,” Robin chuckles, hoisting Roland up and tipping him over, making the boy giggle and scream. “Even if she changes into a dragon sometime.”

“Will she change back?” Henry asks, cocking his head at the squirming, still reptilian Thalia.

As if to answer her brother herself, a puff of smoke, a toddler’s laughter, and Thalia returns to her human form, blonde curls bouncing as she claps her hands. Mal cuddles her close, kissing her over and over as she tells her proud she is of her.

“She’s such a cute dragon,” Lily remarks, and Mal beams as she settles down onto the blanket. “Food’s ready, guys. Let’s eat.”

“I’ll get your plates, loves,” Robin murmurs, kissing his girls on their foreheads and then standing up, leaving Mal and Regina to coo at Thalia.

“You know,” Mal says, far too casually for what she’s about to say, “she’ll start breathing fire soon, now.”

Regina’s face falls, her eyes going comically wide as she considers the horrifying possibilities. 

“WHAT?”


End file.
